Adjustable pliers



Oct. 24, 1961 w. J. JOHNSON 3,005,368

ADJUSTABLE PLIERS Filed April 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /N VE N TOR.

ATTORNEYS. V

Oct. 24, 1961 w. J. JOHNSON 3,005,368

ADJUSTABLE PLIERS Filed April 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/ INVENTOR-ATTORNEYS.

nited States This invention relates to adjustablepliers and moreparticularly to ratchet means for variably limiting separation of thejaws of the pliers while allowing free relative pivoting thereof.

Various different types of adjustable pliers have heretofore beenproposed but have generally provided an extremely limited range ofadjustment or have been difiicult to adjust. In one such pliers, apivoted step cam pivoted on one of the handle members and engageablewith the other handle member is employed to adjust the dicetive distancebetween the jaws. This construction gives a relatively wide range ofadjustment and is relatively easy to adjust but is expensive tomanufacture and is easily damaged in use since the cam is exposedbetween the handle members.

It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provideadjustable pliers which provide a wide range of adjustment and are easyto adjust and which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture andextremely rugged and reliable in use.

Another object is to provide adjustable pliers in which one handlemember is formed with a series of spaced ratchet steps selectivelyengageable by a pivoted pawl to limit separation of the jaws on thehandle members.

According to a feature of the invention, the handle members are formed'with interengaging parts to limit separation thereof to an amount suchthat the pawl lies at all times substantially within the outline of oneof the handle members to be protected thereby against damage.

According to another feature of the invention, the pawl may be formed ofa single piece having a stepped end engageable with the ratchet steps orof a plurality of separate pieces of difierent lengths selectivelyengageable with the ratchet steps. These constructions provide a greaterflexibility of adjustment without increasing the number of ratchet stepsor complicating the structure.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be morereadily apparent from the following description when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective view of adjustable pliers embodyingthe invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the pliers of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing a different position ofadjustment; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial section illustrating an alternative construction.

The pliers, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, comprises a first elongatedhandle member formed at one end with an offset 11 which has integrallyformed on the outer end thereof a jaw 12. The handle member 10 and theoffset 11 are thinned with respect to the major portion of the handlemember and the jaw, as clearly seen in FIG- URE l, and the juncture ofthe thinned portion with the handle member is formed into a series ofratchet steps 13. The offset 11 is formed for slidable mounting of asecond handle member thereon and in the construction shown has anelongated slot 14 formed therein extending substantially at a rightangle to the face of the jaw 12.

A second elongated handle member 15 having a jaw 16 rigidly formedtherewith crosses the offset 11 of the atent O ice first handle memberand is pivotally connected thereto. As best seen in FIGURE 1, thecrossing portion of the second handle member 15 is thinned so that thecombined thickness of the crossing portions of the two handle members issubstantially equal to the thickness of the handle members and the jaws.

The handle members are pivotally connected together by a pin 17 which issecured to the handle member 15 and which extends slidably and rotatablythrough the elongated slot 14. The pin 17 may be headed at one end andmay carry a nut 18 at its opposite end to prevent it from slippingthrough the slot 14 or the opening in the handle member through which itextends while at the same time it provides a pivotal connection betweenthe handle members.

The pin 17 pivotally carries an elongated pawl 19 which is pivoted atone end on the pin 17 with its opposite end extending toward the ratchetsteps 13 selectively to engage the same. The pawl is adapted to be urgedinto engagement with the ratchet steps when the handle members are movedtogether toward their gripping posipressure on the pawl when the handlemembers are moved toward each other.

According to a feature of the invention, the free end of the pawl isformed with a plurality of steps 22 which are selectively engageablewith the same ratchet steps 13 thereby providing greater flexibility ofadjustment without adding to the number of parts or increasing thecomplexity of the pliers.

In use the handle members may be separated, as shown in dotted lines inFIGURE 2 and in full lines in FIGURE 4, to move the pawl 19 out ofengagement with the ratchet steps 13 so that separation of the jaws caneasily be'adjusted. For this purpose, the handle member 15 is formedadjacent to the jaw 16 thereon with a projection 23 which will engagethe pawl and swing it away from the ratchet teeth when the handlemembers are moved apart. With the handle members in this position, thepin 17 can he slid to any desired position in the slot 14 to adjust theseparation of the jaws 12 and 16. When the handle members are movedtoward each other the pawl will swing back into engagement with one orthe other of the ratchet teeth under the influence of the spring 21 tolimit further separation of the jaws. This action will occur during theinitial part of the swinging move ment of the handle members and duringthe final movement of the handle members the jaws will be movedpivotally toward each other to grip between them a nut or other objectto be gripped.

According to another feature of the invention, the pawl is soconstructed and arranged that it lies at all times substantially withinthe outline of the handle member 10 and offset 11 to be protectedthereby against accidental damage. The maximum outward position of thepawl is illustrated in dot-dash lines in FIGURE 2 and even in thisposition the major portion of the pawl is protected by the handle member10 and offset 11.

In order to limit outward movement of the pawl the handle members areformed with interengaging parts to limit separation thereof. As shown,the jaw 16 where it joins the handle member 15 provides a shoulder 24which will engage the outer surface of the ofiset 11 when the handlemembers are moved apart to limit separation thereof. The outer surfaceof the offset is so con toured that the handle members can never beseparated in any of the relative adjusted positions thereof to an extentsuch that the pawl will be fully exposed where it would be likely to bedamaged.

In the alternative construction, illustrated in FIGURE 5, only thehandle member 10, the ofiset 11 and jaw 12 are illustrated, these partsbeing identical to corresponding parts shown in FIGURES 1 to 4 with thedifference being in the construction of the pawl. As shownin-EIG; URE 5,the pawl is; formed by a pair-of elongated bars 25 and 26 of differentlengths both pivoted; at one end on the pin 17 and selectivelyengageable at their opposite ends with the ratchet steps13 on thehandlermember 10. Each of the pawls, as shown, carries a leaf:spring-21cm gaged by the handle member 15in thevsame manner as thespring 21 of FIGURES 1 to 4; to urge the pawls 25 and 26. toward theratchet steps. The two ratchet members function in essentially the samemanner; as the steps. 22 on. the end of theratchet member 19;. for selective engagementwith the ratchet steps 13 to provide greater flexibilityof adjustment. with.aminimumofcomplication of the structure.

While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and describedherein, it, will be understood; that they are illustrative only andnottobe taken as a definition of the scope of the invention,referencebeing had for this purpose tothe appended. claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Adjustable pliers comprising a first handle member offset adjacenttoone end and a jaw member rigidly carried by the offset, a secondhandle and jaw member crossing. the offset, means. pivotally andvslidably interconnecting the offset. and the second ,handle and jawmember for. movement of the pivotal. connection. along the offset, aseries of spaced ratchet; steps integrally formed on and across'one sideof the first; handle member adjacent to the offset, an elongatedstraight pawl pivotally connected at one end to said means; andextending along said one side of the first. handle member and olfset andselectively engageable at itsother, end with; the ratchet steps variablyto limit movement of. the pivotal connection thereby to. limitseparation of the jaw members, spring means acting between. the secondhandle member and the pawliurging the pawl towardengageme t with one ofthe ratchet steps when the handle: members are moved relativelytogether, and. apart. on the; second 7 handle member engageable with thepawl when the handle members are moved part o. mq e henawlaway f om theratchet steps, the handle members including interengaging parts to limitseparation therof such that the pawl will remain at all timessubstantially within the outline of the first handle member and offsetto be protected thereby.

2. The pliers ofclaim 1 in which the pawl provides set, andelongated-pawlpivotedat one end on the pivot pin.

n xt nd n along. s one, s de q g he fi s handle member and-offset andselectively engageable at its other end with the ratchet steps a springactingv between the secondhandle member, and. the pawl urgingvthe pawltoward the ratchet steps when thehandle members are moved: together,and;v a part, on the second handle member engageable with the pawl whenthe handle members are moved. apart to move the pawl away from the.ratchet steps, the second; handle including a part engageable with theoffset to. limit separation. of the handle members.

whereby the pawl will remain at all, times. substantially within theoutline of the first handle member. and oifset to be protected thereby.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,001,178 Stone r.., r Aug 22 1 911 1,249,587 Auburg ,v Dec. 11, 1917FOREIGN; PATENTS 1,022.9,307 Germany Apr. 30, 1958 7 844,128 GermanyJuly 17, 1952

